This blog is a result of the heavy censoring of the media by the military dictatorship regime.

Monday, July 18, 2011

FICTU the unsung heroes behind the current Australian union intervention in Fiji

CONNECTIONS: Australia's TWU is actually affiliated to FICTU not FTUC.

International Workers Union: Roped in by FICTU.

The missing pieces in the jigsaw have emerged about the behind-the-scenes efforts that have prompted the Australian Transport Workers Union to threaten industrial action against Qantas and Air Pacific in protest at the military dictatorship.

While the FTUC has been linked publicly to the campaign, the Australian Transport Workers Union is actually affiliated to FICTU.

FICTU affiliate, the Transport Workers Union (representing workers at the national airline, Air Pacific) has in actual fact been complaining about the new management's anti-worker and anti-union measures for some months.

Efforts to resolve the situation included meetings with management and authorities, including the Minister overseeing the industry, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum. (This was covered in earlier C.45. postings). Letters were also written to the illegal Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, in early June seeking assistance - to no avail.

TWU then informed FICTU and the London-based International Transport Workers Federation, ITF, the powerful Global Union Federation representing transport workers throughout the world, of its difficulties and plight of airline workers.

More importantly, FICTU complained of the rumoured draft decree intended to effectively kill unions in critical industries, airlines being one of the key targets. The draft decree was first revealed by C4.5 earlier this year.

The Deputy Regional Secretary, Asia/Pacific of ITF based in Wellington was then able to step in and coordinate what was happening with the decree with transport unions in Australia and New Zealand, who are also ITF affiliates.

Australian TWU and the Maritime Union of Australia, who have the capacity to provide practical support because of their strategic location at Australian ports and airports, have since responded by investigating the local situation and talking to key Fiji unions.

Although FTUC, until early this year an ally of the regime is now trying to flex its muscles, (five years too late!), the Fiji counterparts of Australian TWU and MUA, are the Fiji TWU and Fiji Longshoremen Staff Association, FLSA.

Both these unions are affiliated to Attar Singh's FICTU. Members of these unions control Fiji's docks and airports. FTUC does not enjoy that strength.

FICTU support will therefore be crucial for any action against Fiji at Australian airports or wharves by Australian unions. Coupfourpointfive has been unable to reach Singh but sources say he will not want to see his members at Fiji's airports or the Fiji wharves or their employers' businesses adversely, without his consent.

Singh has recently been vigorously campaigning against Fiji's proposed FNPF reforms. FTUC has been totally out of sight in this struggle.

It is therefore yet to be seen what he has to say, although sources say ITF officials, who have known Singh from his time as founder and leader of Fiji TWU and an active player in ITF, obtained Singh's support before agreeing to Felix Anthony's current round of meetings in Australia and New Zealand.

I WILL HAVE TO ASK ATTAR AND FELIX TO SET ASIDE THEIR PERSONAL DIFFERENCES FOR THE SAKE OF THE WORKERS OF THIS COUNTRY.YOU CAUSED ,THE TRADE UNION FRAGMENTATION NOW IS THE TIME TO REDEEM YOURSELVES AND EARN HONESTLY.

Flights in and out of Fiji these school holidays could be hit by industrial action.

The Australian Transport Workers Union is threatening the action over the alleged beating of union officials, and the introduction of decrees removing rights of workers.

Union national secretary Tony Sheldon says it will involve members who refuel aircraft, caterers, cleaners and baggage and ramp handlers.

He says if threats, and the terrorism of work place leaders, continues, then direct industrial action will be taken in support of their Fijian colleagues.

"If Qantas, Air Pacific and it's interests do not proclaim support for a Fijian workforce, then we will take direct action against Qantas, Air Pacific and people flying in and out of Fiji," he told Newstalk ZB.

Mr Sheldon says they are not going to stand by and see their pacific neighbours terrorised by their own military regime.

"I've certainly met with them in New Zealand to discuss this issue and they're quite aware of the situation," he told Newstalk ZB. "But it's not about us making threats at this stage, it's about sitting down and carefully working through the options."

Mr Conway says the CTU has warned commercial interests in New Zealand that the Fiji situation is inevitably going to spill over onto the broader public arena and could affect New Zealand's trading relations, including air and sea travel.

Challenge the tin pot dictator and junta of thugs to arrest and torture the union leaders who are in australia and fiji. Enough is enough, time has come to throw the junta out and in with democracy and worker rights. FNPF rate cant be reduced and workers rights cant be abolised. Now the tin pot dictator of the pacific is going to get a pacific solution of sanctions to make him run the cassava patch again.

Fiji's interim government is being accused of intimidation tactics and destroying workers' rights.

The national secretary of Fiji's Trade Council, Felix Anthony, claimed in New Zealand today that he was beaten by Fijian soldiers. He said workers and union members are constantly threatened with physical abuse, and some have ended up in wheelchairs.

"The questions came and while we were in the process of answering we were abused and assaulted by the military," Anthony told ONE News.

He said the Fijian government is imposing new laws which suppress workers' rights.

"[It] basically takes away the rights of public servants to challenge any decision of government in relation to the restructure of the civil service."

Unions in Australia have responded and are threatening to boycott flights to the island nation during the current peak holiday period.

Tony Sheldon, spokesperson for the Australian Transport workers Union, has held a press conference denouncing the violence and urging Australian unions to take action.

"Qantas should stand by its employees, by its business interests through Air Pacific and pull out of its operations in Fiji until there is a return to democracy," Sheldon said.Advertisement

Anthony met with the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions today and they are discussing what level of support they might provide.

Peter Conway, NZ Council of Trade Unions, said they are looking at all their options.

"We have talked to the government, we've talked to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and we've communicated with the International Labour Organisation that they should get actively involved.

"I've met with various employer groups in the meat, dairy and travel industry to say things are heating up in Fiji and all options will be on the table, so we're not ruling industrial action out but we're not ruling it in."

The war has began with the people power and people and workers of fiji revolution against a no school and thug dictator who did coup to save himself and the junta of thugs who are a dozen or so and hold fiji hostages. Fiji doesnt need people charter but people power and a revolution for return to urgent democracy, rule of law and rule by ballot and guns, transparency, accountabilty, governance, and justice for the junta to stand trial for the scams and corruption its been running under PER and media censorship. The tin pot Gadaffi of Fiji must be brought down by pacific regio sanctions which will be short term pain but long term gain to free fiji from the hostage taking by a gang of thugs who want to take away all worker rights and workers monies by force for thier corruption.

People of fiji rise up and fight, protest and revolt and throw this junta out before they totaaly bankrupt fiji and bring demise to the nation. Fear not how amny can they arrest and gail, they only a gang of thugs and peopl are 800000.

Thank you Attar Singh for your tireless work. No wonder FICTU was given the permission to hold a public meeting on the FNPF reform. Seems the illegal regime had their hands tied for once. Makes sense now. This is the kind of people we want to be at the helm of the new Fiji.

Now the parasites have jumped on the bandwagon to take the credit. Typical. And Roko Ului is their puppet. If they did not know what they were doing in supporting Bainimarama - they do not have the wisdom to be at the forefront now. They are in this for their own sakes, not for Fiji and its people. Just because they are making the right noises does not mean they are for the good of the country. The writing is on the wall for BainiKhaiyum and they in anticipation have made their move.

Sorry, the only thing that is real(not superstition)is the God that I serve. All else are mans imaginations and theories and have limited abilities and use. Only God can free us using His chosen people.

C4.5 - ask those Jack-asses Felix Anthony, Rajeshwar Singh and Daniel Urai why oppose the monster that they all helped create? Attar Singh has been a sole fighter as far as unionists are concerned and has remain steadfast in his beliefs. The 3 stooges in the meantime were part of the regime!!!! Now they're trying to earn their political asylum status in Australia and NZ - send them back for another clip around the ears and a jog around the camp

It boggles the mind and grieves the heart when we witness some who claim to be patriots are overwhelmed by their egocentric mini wee worldview. Shamefully, even having the audacity to further claim exclusive supreme right to decide the destiny of the majority of Fiji population.

Blood shall be on their hands, and worse of all in the hands of their children to the 3rd and 4 th generation.

The number of job losses in Fiji, increased malnutrition, rampage starvation, increase in prostitution of Fiji mothers and sisters, heightened petty crime and corruption, education-less society, compromises of the truth and right for a pot of soup, grand degradation of Fiji moral, social and economy shall be on their hand and shall weigh heavily on their being while they live until they pass on at their old age, through out to their death bed the groaning of the masses SHALL not escape them!!

Who are they to decide who staves…who to dies..who not to go to school…who works…and they claim to be champions of human rights..Goodness!!....they have just muffled the very ethos of life and basic human rights and decency they claim to champion…a pure demonstration that their intent from the beginning had been to scrape goat and use human ammunition to gun down the Bainimarama/Aiyaz regime.

We say…shame on them…we shall let God in His providence and time bring instant judgment of these oppressors of Fiji’s poor and innocent!!...for these wanna be patriots have just played the god role …hence, an attempt to Coup against God from His sovereign dominion over our beautiful Islands…only God may held them now IF THEY STOP THESE STUPIDITY!!

That goes also to the Co Prime Ministers...why can'nt all these leader seat down, take off their blooming mask of self importance...and delibarate maturely to take us out of this 5 year old circus!!

While FNPF & the Illegal regime is raping people's hard earn savings & retirement to pay for doggy deals and big borrowings they have also tortured the very essence of workers recognition of existence - their voices through the unions of their choice.

First time I have seen such commendable comments from blog-readers. Yes, this is not the time to split hairs on whose responsible but to join hands and fight for the cause. This is something that certain writers for C4.5 still do not appreciate. They seem too bitter to forget their old feuds be it unions or political. Shame on you.

Let's march forward as one against the common enemy - Onward Fiji's soldiers marching on to war ...

Vinaka vakalevu Attar and Master Koroi (FTA Pres) for speaking the truth. Readers please let us not forget that FICTU, PEU, FNA,Viti PWU and the FTA were the only unions that had worked extremely hard in 2006/07 to try and bring all the unions together to fight the draconian measures by this illegal regime. They were not self centred or take sides but were fighting for the welfare of their members and their families. It cost them their jobs, their pays, their livelihood and families were threatened, houses stoned but they did not succumb to illegal pressures. The FTUC,PSA and the FTU under the influence of Chaudry, Rajend, Felix and Urai SIDED with Bainimarama because they were promised back pays, positions in govt and boards. THEY ALL ACCEPTED IT! So what is happening now? Sa tu na DA! Having said that and following RM's apology I ask the FDFM in Aust and around the world to please be very careful when dealing this bunch of hypocrits! I'd rather you deal with Attar, Koroi, Lutui and other genuine unionists. Since they have come back to their senses the HEALING process must start from within and Felix, Urai and Rajend must first APOLOGISE and explain WHY they sided with the illegal regime in 2006 to all the union members and the people of Fiji. Like Ului they have to be held accountable for their actions. Then and only then will the people of Fiji and democrats consider listening to them. God bless Fiji

There is a strong cultural bias in your comments. You just can't put "your" god and "your" beliefs apart because you are comfortable with them and think that you can get away with that... We are not in a village church runned by a fat businessmen here, this is a serious international forum.

Our common objective, I hope, is to make Fiji a better place. As a mathematician, I want to propose you a different way to look at your current problems to enlighten you. I think there is something interesting to say here about the Game Theory.

Mathematics require intellectual efforts, that's why they are not popular. But for once, it would be nice to hear something different, something original, something clever.

I invite you to watch the video I proposed in my first post and I want to hear what you have to say about it. Can't you see the "game" going on in Fiji?

@ Semi Meo,Jesusu was a typing error for Jesus and there was no mention of Him tormenting the unionists. Plse read comments again.

@Tic for tatNo ethnic bias, just a Godly bias because I believe in the God that I serve and He is the only one who can release Fiji from these illegal government, irrespective of which forum we are in - International or Universal. As Jesus said, "If they are not against us, then they are for us". We have a common goal so you rely on your mathematics and I will rely on my God.